Typically, electrosurgical devices have stand-alone monopolar capabilities or bipolar capabilities. Thus, a surgeon before a procedure begins may select either a device with monopolar capabilities or a device with bipolar capabilities and the surgeon can use the device to apply either monopolar power or bipolar power. For example, if the surgeon selects a monopolar device and monopolar power is not desired for a part of the surgical procedure the surgeon may use either the device that supplies monopolar power to perform that portion of the procedure or switch to a device with bipolar capabilities. Both of these devices may be used to perform the procedure, however, switching between devices and/or using a device that may be better suited for a different purpose may disturb the procedure flow, cause unnecessary delays in the procedure, and in some cases result in less than optimal energy sources being used.
Generally, electrosurgical devices are connected to a generator that produces a therapy signal and provides power to the electrosurgical device so that a therapy current is produced. However, the therapy currents that may be used are limited by the generator and thus if the generator is only capable of producing a single therapy current then only one therapy current can be applied through the electrosurgical device. Additionally, a generator may be capable of producing two therapy currents, but the electrosurgical device may only be capable of controlling and applying a single therapy current. Thus, the electrosurgical device may only apply a single therapy current. Some attempts have been made to produce a device that includes both monopolar capabilities and bipolar capabilities in a single device. These devices can be switched between monopolar capabilities and bipolar capabilities without switching devices. Some of these devices are reconfigurable between two mechanical configurations so that both monopolar and bipolar can be applied. However, the number of modes available in these devices may be restricted by the number of buttons available on the device.
Additionally, many surgical procedures require many different tools and each tool provides one or more functions that are useful during a surgical procedure. Thus, for each surgical procedure multiple different tools may be used by a surgeon to perform a surgical procedure. Changing between tools may lengthen a procedure or cause a surgeon to look away from a location and then require additional time or concentration to relocate a location of interest before continuing a procedure. Therefore, what is needed is a device that is capable of being mechanically reconfigured so that a surgeon can perform several steps with one instrument without having to change tools or field of view.
Examples of some electrosurgical instruments may be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,110,171; 6,113,596; 6,190,386; 6,358,268; and 7,232,440; and U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2005/0113827; 2005/0187512; 2006/0084973; 2012/0123405; 2014/0276795; and 2014/0276799 all of which are incorporated by reference herein for all purposes. It would be attractive to have an electrosurgical device that includes a single button that may be used to apply a monopolar therapy current and a bipolar therapy current. It would be attractive to have an electrosurgical device that may be mechanically reconfigured between three different mechanical configurations, which each apply a therapy current. What is needed is an electrosurgical device that produces more therapy currents than a generator supplies signals (i.e., generator modes) to the electrosurgical device and applies more modes than buttons available on the electrosurgical device. What is needed is a blade that is moved between three or more different configurations and in each different configuration one or more therapy currents are applied by the electrosurgical device that perform a different function.